Bangkok or “Bang Makok”



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Jim Thompsons House
Formerly the abode of the American mastermind behind the revival of Thailands ailing silk industry, the house of Jim Thompson is now a museum housing Thompsons extensive collection of art including porcelain, traditional paintings and one of the oldest Budhhas in the world.

Museums
The National Museum houses an impressive collection of textiles, murals, Chinese art and a spectacular gold plated Buddha. Head to the Royal Barge Museum to gawk at the gaudy, gilded barges, or royal boats that are used during certain important state ceremonies.

Snake Farm
This snake breeding and venom extraction facility conducts daily snake handling and venom milking shows involving some of the most poisonous cobras, vipers and kraits.

Where to Sleep
There is a vast range of accommodation available here, from affordable backpacker’s digs to luxury hotels. Khao San Road, the citys backpacker ghetto has budget accommodations, while the Rattanakosin area has some of the swankier, pricier pads.  If you plan on using a lot of Bangkoks public transport system, choose a hotel with convenient, Metro and Skytrain access.

Where to Eat
The city offers myriad eating choices - from fine cuisine to street food. Generally, Sukhumvit Road and Khao San Road have a great selection of international cuisine restaurants while Chinatown is the place to head for cheaper priced eateries.  Street stalls selling satay and curry shops are scattered all over the city.  The local specialty? Deep fried bugs with soy sauce. Eeew, you might think, but quite tasty and good for you too!

Nightlife
Bangkok has shed some of its reputation as a sleaze center with a seedy night life.  The famous Go-Go bars with their exotic dancers are still intact, but, there are an increasing number of chic restaurants, jazz clubs and trendy pubs.  If packed dance floors and blaring music isn’t your idea of a great night out, there are chic lounges and bars that offer a more relaxed setting to enjoy your drink.  Many of these are found at star hotels, like the 84+ at the Conrad Hotel, but many others like Bullys Bar can be found in areas like Sukhomvit Road and Silom.   For those who like their evenings more raucous and less sophisticated, there are always the famous Go-Go bars. The Patpong area abounds in these raunchy strip clubs – more than 100 dot the two parallel streets. Nana Entertainment plaza in Sukhumvit is another sin hotspot. Something of a “sex mall” with three storeys of strictly adult entertainment, no families are allowed entrance.

Thailand also has one the most admirably tolerant attitudes towards homosexuals and transsexuals, owing probably to the tolerant nature of Buddhism. Transsexuals, who are in the process of re assigning their gender, are something of a night life cult by themselves.  Known by locals and visitors alike as “lady boys”, they take part in extravagant cabaret style performances, elaborate affairs that are hugely popular. At many of these shows, you might find families sprinkled among the audience, so wide spread is their appeal.

Shopping
Shopping in Bangkok, like so much else of the city, encompasses the best of the West with uniquely Asian spaces.  The city boasts of world class malls like CentralWorld and The Emporium that can easily compare to any arcade in London or New York.  For shopping with a more local flavor head to the Chatuchak Weekend Market- the bargain haunt of the city. With a mind boggling array of wares ranging from the ordinary to the exotic and the bizarre, this market offers the most chaotic but enjoyable shopping in Bangkok. The city also offers a range of celadon pottery, stone carvings, laquerware, silver ware and textiles that are available at the bigger malls as well as street bazaars.  For a different sort of nightlife, visit the Patpong Night Market where you can pick up everything from CDs to “designer wear” and more.  Khao San Road and the Suan Lum Night Bazaar are two other places where you can shop till the wee hours of morning for handicrafts, textiles, ready-to-wear, jewelry, furniture and lots more.  At Bangkoks Chinatown, you’ll find oddities like feather boas and martial art weapons alongside gold shops.

Massages and Spas
The Thais haven’t been far behind in cashing in on the spa culture spreading across the globe and Bangkok has many world class spas and resorts that offer spa treatments.  With spas and massage centers (the real deal, not the sleazy ones) all over the city, finding one is not difficult. The Orientist Spa, as well as those at hotels like the Shangri-La, Plaza Athenee and Dusit Thani offer exclusive spa packages in a serene environment. Besides herbal baths and treatments, you can also visit for a traditional Thai massage.  Unlike other forms of massage, a Thai massage is intended to make the recipient feel “new” rather than relaxed and drowsy.  By applying gentle pressure and stretching the body using Yogic principles, the masseur offers a one-on-one experience that’s rejuvenating and healing at the same time. Facial massages, aromatherapy and oil massages as well as foot massages are the most popular services.

Muay Thai Boxing
Muay Thai, or Thai boxing as it’s known internationally, is as old as Thailand itself.  Originally conceived as a form of defense against Thailands enemies, the sport has a fanatic following in the country with matches being telecast live on television. The best way to catch the action is to head for one of the venues for these anything goes matches.  Kicking and elbowing are some of the tactics used here to the loud accompaniment of a wind and percussion band who are comprised of former Muay Thai boxers themselves.  The sport attaches great reverence to teachers and masters with a separate ritual honoring them at the beginning of every match.  Spectators cheer on and the entire experience is a fun and enjoyable one.

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